Potato-cutter attachment for potato planters



Fei. 27, 11923.

M. MACEL! POTATO CUTTER ATTACHMENT FOR POTATO PLANTERS Filed NOV- 25, 1922 j; mum W/WVESLSESB V3072 2% g5 Patented Feb. 2.7, 1923.

UNITEE STATES MIKE IVIACIEJ, OF BOWLU'S, MINNESOTA.

POTATO-CUTTER ATTACHMENT FOR POTATO PLANTERS.

Application filed November 23, 1922. Serial No. 602,835.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MIKE MACIEJ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bowlus, in the county of Morrison and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Potato-Cutter Attachment for Potato Planters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to attcahments for potato planters and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved seed potato cutting attachment which can be quickly and expeditiously connected with potato planters now on the market.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for permitting whole seed potatoes to be fed to the machine and cut into sections prior to the planting thereof into the ground.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means working in unison with the potato cutting device for insuring the correct feeding of the potatoes to the seed cutter, said means being mounted for swing- 25 ing movement to agitate the potatoes and thus insure the feeding of the potatoes to the cutter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a potato seed cutter for potato planters embodying a housing disposed directly above the planter funnel and connected with the hopper for receiving the whole potatoes having a stationary cutting knife disposed in the lower end thereof and provided with a reciprocating plunger for forcing the potatoes against the knives and into the planter funnel.

A further object of the invention is .to provide novel means for connecting the reciprocating plunger with the drive axle of the planter, so that the seed cutter will be automatically operated during the movement of the planter over a field.

A still further object of the invention is 45 to provide an improved potato seed cutter for potato planters of the above-character, which is durable and efiicient in use, one that is simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost. I

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a potato planting machine showing the improved attachment applied thereto, parts of the attachment being shown in longitudinal section.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a potato planter showing the improved seed cutter connected therewith.

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal section through the improved attachment taken on the line 83 of Figure 1 illustrating the stationary cutting knives.

Figure 4 is a detail vertical section through the plunger for forcing the potatoes into engagement with the knife and into the planting funnel.

Figure 5 is a detailed perspective view of the companion portions of the potato cutting knife.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates a potato planter and B an improved potato seed cutter therefor.

The planter A is of the conventional type and has merely been shown to illustrate the use of the improved invention. As shown the same includes the longitudinally extending side bars or beams 10, the supporting axle 11, on which is mounted the ground wheels 12. A depending hopper 13 is connected intermediate the side bars or beams 10 by means of transverse brace bars 14 as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The hopper 13 is provided with a depending planter spout 15, which is of the ordinary construction.

As shown the axle 11 is provided with a pair of spaced sprocket wheels 16 and 17, the purpose of which, will be hereinafter more fully described. Disposed between the longitudinally extending side bars or beams 10 are a pair ofsupplemental beams 20 which form a part of. the present invention and which support the various parts of the device, which will now be described.

The improved attachment includes a vertically disposed hopper 25 in which the whole potatoes are placed and this hopper is provided with an inclined forwardly extending outlet tube 26 through which the potatoes are adapted to fall. lhe forward end of the tube 26 supports a vertically disposed housing or casi ng 2? which isfi dis'posed directly above the'hopper 18'. The potato receiving hopper 25 'is secured to suitable standards 28 Which are, in tL'Lrn riveted or connected in any other preferred manner to the intermediate teams or-bars 20. The lower end of the housing or casnig 27 sup;

ports the stationary knife 30 otthe potato seed cutter and this stationary lznife 30 in eludes a pair of companion sections 31' and Vyvhich are adapted to ezgte'nd at right angles to one another. The/lower edge of the section 3 1 isv provided san notch 33 at i s ei f l P i' Q Wl ihkthur'i d of the section 32 is providedavith a notch 3&1. at its central portion and can seen thatthese notches are adapted to te'r -iit as can 'be seen by referring t'o ri urgi of the drawings. The lovvei' edfges o'iieacli of the sections 3112111161 32am: provided with notches ifor fitting in the Wall of the easmg or housing'27. I p

L plunger preferably toriiied of ivo Od or the like 36 is" slidahl'y inounted witliin the housi'ng or casing and is adapted to force the potatoesas they fall into the housing o'f casing 27 I into engagement with the knives BO midthu out the potatoes into tour sections, prior to their entrance into the hopper r The upper end of the plunger 36 supports rist pin 37 which is mounted a pitinairrod 38. 'lhis pitr'nan od as hagits u'ppj i end c nnbtgd toa' suitable crank pin 39 cari'ied" by crank Wheel 40. This crank whee-l 4C0 keyed or otherwise secured to short't-i'ansvei'sely sen e-s aft 41-1. his hift 7 i 1 ported suitable bea-riiig"bracl' ets L2 which are connected to one ofthe side beain's' 10 andto one of the ntermediate beams Al sprocket heelELZ is keyed or otherwise secured to tlie outer end of the jshaitt L1 and a sprocket chain 4:4 is trained about the sprocket heel 43 and about the sprocketwheel 16 and thusittcan be see-n that the plunger is driven directly by the drive axle-'11;

1; .'nr. r- '.-':,1; 11-0- .7 In order to lnsure the correct teeding ot the potatoes from the hopper25 to hens inp; or casing 27' a suitable agitatii'i'g hlade 425 is mounted vlthiii the' 'outlet tube iti and has its uppe1.' eiid senured to ajpivoted lever L6, Thislever etti ha s its iipper eiidi extended through. a slot. in one \vallotthe I, V u ---r outlet tube 26 and spivotally connected as at 4:7 to a c'oi nect ng rod 48 which s eccentrically connected to crank wheel 49. This crank' Wheel is jk'ey edi or otherwise socured, to a relatively short: shaft 50 which is mounted 1n sult'able bearings carrled by he sh n; 50

, br ckets r t sprockeltfivhe el 5'2 1 ,r Chain tlr zx ,r seenfthat numproved potato seed cutter has been pi' ovi ded for potato planting inaehi'n'es in which the vvholeipotatoes' can be fed into a hopper c" 'iecl by the", machine an pot oes'c' sections prior to the delivehng ot the saline to the' planter spout. 00a" obviates the necest iiig" the seed potatoesprior to {of the sani'e Within theho p pejr. Chang in dtail's, lnay be" made Without departing"rrols'the'stira orseo eo'r the infibn a. a

1. The coiriloinatibn Witl' Lipotato planter includinga frame and a delivery spout, 0t

at a l i eht Q the p ane co p sin lto'receive' the potatoes, g the hopper to the frame \v itli the housing at point intermediate its ends "a. statid airy cutting knife disposed in the housing helovv said delivery tube, a sliding plungeifcarried by thefhousing and arranged to force the'potatoes into engagemeat ivvitli the: knife; and means for operat- 2' .s i i ui ei t ,r T

' cor'nb at on with a potato planter H w yfra niela deliveiy spout and a drive axle t an'attachrneiit therefor includingf a rea ely large hopper foi' receiving \vhol'e potatoes, 'a' ve'rtic'all'y disposed lion ing carried the ifranieand arrangeddii'eetly vejthe delivery spout; a delivery tuioe coi'in'eetin gtlie lo vei' ends of the hop perivitli thef l iousfiulg at. a point in't'errne (liate' its en cross I stationary cutting blades disposed in the housing; below said delivery tulie; a plunger snugly titting said housinff'; and slida'bly ,Mounted therein, a d tiveii :shaft, means col iiecting the driven shaft with the nam means operatively wh tening the driven shaft With the plunger, and means operatively connecting the driven shaft With'th'edrive axle of the planter. 4 a

The coiifiloin'atioli With potato planter in cli'ldi11g" a m ga delivery spout and a awe i attachment to'r'thei plainter vely-I large; 1 opper' for rec' iving- M101 is pot-atoe'sg' beaitns" securing the hopper to the frame, a. housing disposed directly above the delivery spout, means connecting the housing to the frame, a stationary knife carried by the lower end of the housing, a delivery tube connecting the hopper with the housing, a reciprocating plunger mounted in the housing, and an agitator disposed in said tube.

4. The combination with a potato planter including a frame, a drive axle and a delivery spout, of an attachment therefor including a. relatively large hopper for receiving whole potatoes, a housing disposed directly above the delivery spout, an inclined delivery tube connected with the lower end of the hopper and the housing at a point intermediate its ends, a stationary knife carried by the lower end of the housing, a reciprocating plunger, means connecting the reciprocating plunger With the drive axle, an agitator mounted in said tube adjacent to the hopper including a swing ing blade, a driven shaft, a cranlr'wheel secured to the driven shaft, means connectin g the crank Wheel with the swinging blade, and means connecting the driven shaft with the drive axle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses:

MIKE MACIEJ.

Witnesses:

ALB. A. BARTON, W. G. LUND UIST. 

